Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital - Alder Hey, Eaton Road, Liverpool L12 2AP, United Kingdom
CC Hung ( 洪致全 ) MRCP, FHKPaed, FHKAM(Paediatrics)
BA Judd MRCP, Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist
Correspondence to: Dr CC Hung, c/o Dr Jones Fok & Associates, 6th Floor, Nathan Tower, 518 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Received June 30, 1999
We report two recent cases of hypernatraemic dehydration associated with insufficient breast milk intake in the neonatal period. Both mothers failed to recognise inadequate breast milk intake and signs of dehydration in their babies. The infants had massive weight loss (23% and 22% of birth weight) and sodium levels of 185 and 174 mmol/l respectively. They required slow intravenous rehydration with isotonic fluid and recovered without long-term sequelae. This uncommon problem should be preventable by good education and close supervision of nursing mothers. It is very important not to rehydrate too rapidly to avoid further neurological damage.